GOD’S BEEN GOOD TO US: 22 YEARS IN MINISTRY

 

JEREMIAH 29:11

 

 

          As I prayerfully thought about what the message for this anniversary would be, the Lord spoke in my spirit and reminded me of how good He’s been to us for 22 years in ministry, and 24 years since the church was founded. In fact, it was so clear that He told me to go back in time with some sermon excerpts He has spoken to us over the past 22 years. Yes, my brothers and my sisters, today we celebrate 22 years as a Church. When we look around the sanctuary and see the empty seats, it appears that maybe we don’t have a lot to celebrate. But if you have these thoughts, let me tell you now that you would be very wrong. We are blessed that we get to worship in a place where people love God. We worship in a place where we understand the hearts of those around us; knowing we aren’t perfect, yet we stand with one another in good and bad times. While we may be few, we get to worship in a place where the Word of God is taught and impacting lives.

          I came by this morning to remind us that as it has been said, we’re stepping into a season of power and prosperity. We’re stepping into a season where all the peoples of the Earth shall see that we are called by the name of the Lord. My brothers and sisters in the Lord, we’re stepping into a season where the Lord is going to open up His good treasure to you and bless you; where we’re going to lend and not borrow, be the head and not the tail, and above and not beneath. We’re stepping into a season where God is about to tear back the veil off the heavenlies to release some things to you.

It’s amazing how this Sunday is one day after the actual date we had our first worship service in the Upper Room at the Clarion Suites Hotel, Live Oak, Texas on September 12, 2004. The Lord was good to us because we only had to pay $25 dollars a week as we began our journey by faith. The sermon for that morning was “Breathe on Me.” There were six people in attendance as the Spirit of the Lord came in as a mighty rushing wind. I’m telling you He came in and filled that place with His mighty anointing. God knew through time and eternity that even though you may not have started with us in the beginning, He knew who join us and who would still be faithful after 22 years.

          The Scriptures for that first sermon came from John 7:37-39: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified).” Also, John 20:21-22:  “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost.”

          I can remember as we entered 2005: “The Year of Overflow,” the Lord was prophetically calling for and encouraging us to “Launch out into the Deep.” We were to go to that place and dimension where we had never gone before in faith. In other words, we were spiritually challenged to move from the shallow waters of faith and begin to move and operate in the overflow of what God had prepared for us. We were challenged to look at our own lives retrospectively and be honest with ourselves as to whether we in fact had given Him our all and all. God told me to tell them that He was pleased with them, but we needed to move with a greater sense of anticipation, expectation, and urgency so that 2005 could truly be our “Year of Overflow.” What God was saying was that there was always room for improvement as we looked into the mirror of His Word. Not only did the Lord want us to walk in greater faith, but He also reminded us that to see, understand, and do what He had in store for us; we needed Him to give us divine revelation, illumination, and inspiration from the Holy Ghost. God reminded us that He had placed a special anointing upon this House.

          As a matter of fact, that sermon was a supernatural God-breathed set up for the remainder of the year. It was that initial sermon that was preordained to thrust or catapult us into operating in the overflow of God in every area of our lives because God was preparing us for 2006: “The Year of Total Fulfillment.” He knew even before the foundation of the world what things we would encounter and therefore He spoke to us during our anniversary to begin to walk in our preordained purpose, plan, and destiny without handicaps. Because God loves us so much, He brought forth encouraging messages to strengthen us so that we could realize who we are in Him.

          As we fast forward in time through the years, I decree and declare to you this morning that the best is yet to come. For my Bible tells me but as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. The sermon entitled: “Stir Up the Gift: The Anointing Destroys the Yoke” with its focus scripture text coming from 2 Timothy 1:2-7 reminded us that God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind. River of Life, the Lord saved us and called us, not according to our own works, but according to His own purpose in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world. So, don’t be fearful of where the Lord is taking you or what He has called you to do. Don’t be fearful of what you will encounter when you start operating in the gifts He’s put in you. Always remember that if there are any difficulties, and there will be; we are partakers of them according to the power of God. We don’t have to deal with difficulties in our own strength. Therefore, my brothers and my sisters, don’t be afraid but stir up the gift: the anointing of God destroys every yoke.

          In the sermon, “God Uses Ordinary People for Extraordinary Assignments,” God reminded us that He designed us to operate in the supernatural in order to fulfill His preordained purpose here in the earth realm. Therefore, we are able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think because the anointing of God is working from the inside out. He’s working the will and the do in you and in me. We just need to forget about ourselves and concentrate on Him. We need to tell the devil that he’s a liar and the father of all lies, because when I read in the Word of God it says that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. We may not understand the reason or rationale why we do what we do, but be assured that if we will just let the Holy Ghost lead us and guide us, we will do more than what we see because God uses ordinary people who are willing and obedient to perform extraordinary assignments.

          The sermon, “The Power of Prayer and Praise” admonished us to realize and recognize that the spirit of prayer and praise elevates us into God’s presence and power. I am reminded that Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. They knew how to rise above their circumstance and difficult situation. Through prayer and praise their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God and provided God a conduit for His power to operate in their circumstances. I believe they were able to endure and even rise above their circumstances by not focusing on their circumstances.

          One of my favorite sermons was: “Your Condition is Not Your Conclusion” because it’s not over until God says it’s over. Moses had a condition; Naaman had a condition; the Samaritan woman at the well had a condition; the woman with an issue of blood had a condition, Hannah had a condition; we had a condition, but it wasn’t their conclusion, neither is it your conclusion. Your condition isn’t your conclusion.  

God also spoke to us in a prophetic voice with such sermons as, What Are You Waiting For?, You Might be Knocked Down, But Not Knocked Out, but as a matter of fact, you can Overcome Your Handicaps, because The Struggle is Over, so Don’t Give Up on God, It’s Just A Temporary Inconvenience. Therefore, I declare and decree to you Just Have Faith in God, and you can Weather the Storms of Life!

          The sermon, “When the Devil Blocks the Door, Raise the Roof,” reminded us that when the devil blocks the door, raise the roof! The text taught that by faith they took the problem to Jesus. When they couldn’t come near to Jesus, they uncovered the roof where He was. I stopped by to say, faith knows how to go around, under, over, and through all obstacles. Faith says I might not be able to get through the front door, but I can break rooftop foundations. When your doors are blocked, just go up a little higher.

          “Are You Under the Blood?” told us that the Church needs to get back to the blood. The significance of that to you and I is that the Holy Ghost answers to the blood. The Holy Ghost witnesses to the blood. The Holy Ghost honors the blood. The Holy Ghost testifies to the blood. The Holy Ghost waits for the blood. In other words, the Holy Ghost only comes where the blood has been applied. First, it's blood, then it's the oil. No blood; no salvation. No blood; no justification. No blood; no deliverance. No blood; no sanctification. No blood; no oil. No blood; no power. No blood; no anointing. No blood; no peace. No blood; no authority. No blood; no joy. No blood; no protection.

          In the sermon, “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time,” God said He was going to blow your mind because He realized that He had to blow your mind in order for you to believe it’s Him who’s really dealing with you. He said, yes, it’s me who’s been making a way out of no way for you, it’s me who’s been opening those closed doors, it’s me who has provided for you, but for some reason, because everything happened so naturally, you seemed to think that you had something to do with it. God said that it was Him who healed your body when you were sick. So, get ready because He’s about to BLOW YOUR MIND THIS TIME!

In the sermon: “Lord I need you to move—PUSH.” God was saying, “You’ve got to pray until something happens. You’ve got to do what the Bible says, ‘Be instant in season and out of season. You’ve got to pray and stay on your knees until something happens’”. Moses prayed and God spared Israel from judgment. Joshua prayed and God caused the sun to stand still. Hannah prayed and God gave her a baby boy. Solomon prayed and God gave him wisdom. Elijah prayed and God sent fire down from Heaven. Jonah prayed and God brought him out of the belly of a big fish.

          The sermon, The Lord Will Make a Way Some How—Still Standing on The Solid Rock, reminded us that there were times when your body didn’t feel like it could make it. But you pushed on anyhow. There were some days of uncertainty, but yet you pushed on anyhow. COVID-19, moments of disillusionment, nights of despair, sometimes it seems as though God wasn’t listening to you.

          In the sermon “Proud Hearts and Dirty Feet, Pick Up A Towel Not A Title,” we were reminded that we cannot serve without getting our feet dirty. It’s easy for us to be taken up with our own sufferings or successes and become so self-centered or indifferent to the needs of others. As far as our Lord was concerned, however, His love was complete. Every night when we lay down to sleep, God will wash our dirty feet. Every time we disobey and disappoint our Lord, God will wash our dirty feet. Every time we fall into sin and the Lord doesn’t cut us off, God will pick up a towel and wash our dirty feet. Every time we act ugly toward one another, God will wash our dirty feet. Every time we fall short of the glory of God, God will pick up a towel and wash our dirty feet. Pick up the towel and not a title and wash dirty feet.

          But you still had joy because you were still standing on the Solid Rock. You had been hurt, but you’re still standing on the Solid Rock. It went on to say, you were misunderstood, but you’re still standing on the Solid Rock. The devil tried to knock you off your feet, but you’re still standing on the Solid Rock.

In the sermon, “It’s Time for You to Cross Over Your Jordan,” we were reminded that each of us will face some Jordans in our life from time to time! When we look at the obstacles that stand between us and spiritual victory in our own Canaan, we may feel that we will never be able to enter victory! You may feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I may not know what obstacles you are facing this morning, but I do know the God who specializes in overcoming the overwhelming odds that will lead His children from victory to victory. I want you to know that life is the process of dealing with change. It has been rightly said that the only thing constant is change.

          In the sermon, “I’m Still in His Hands,” the Holy Ghost remined us that being in the hands of the Lord is like Allstate. When you’re in His hands, you’re in good hands because in His hands you will find healing. In His hands you will find deliverance. In His hands you will find peace. In His hands you will find joy, strength, guidance, power, eternal life, abundant life, victory, and salvation. Know that you are eternally secure when you find yourself in His hands.

          The sermon, “I’m Not Coming Down; I’m Doing A Great Work,” spoke that the enemy’s job is to look for openings in your life to destroy what you’re doing for God. So, don’t get distracted. Stay up there and keep working!  Don’t curse back. Don’t argue back.  Keep on working. If you do anything, give God glory with praise and serve Him with gladness. The Lord gives you the same strength that He used when He stayed on the cross.  Jesus had the strength to not come down though the enemy was taunting Him. He didn’t come down although pain was ripping through His body. He didn’t come down while nails where tearing through His flesh. He didn’t come down when the blood was streaming down. And He didn’t come down until the work was complete.

          Finally, the sermon, “Nothing Less Than Victory: Yes, You Can Overcome,” reminded us that victory is the heritage of every believer in Christ. The Bible assures us that no matter the challenges, trials, or battles we face, we are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us. And NOW is the time for victory, not tomorrow, not yesterday, but right NOW. Just as in the case of Joshua and the Children of Israel, we, the people of God are faced with a choice: to walk by faith and claim the promises of God, or to walk by sight, only taking what life gives us.

          As I begin to close, I believe there’s going to be a big turn around and a shift in your life and in the lives of your family because God’s grace is sufficient. God’s going to began to move in areas of our lives and prepare us for those things which rightfully belong to us. He’s getting us ready to put our lives in order. I believe we’re going to see tremendous breakthroughs and experiences. We’re about to witness some awesome moves of God. I want you to know that all that the enemy has taken from you, God is saying command the enemy to let it go. I’m here this morning to remind you that God has been good to you, so forget the past and move into year 23 pressing forward by faith! Remember God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God has been good to us—22 years in ministry!